Method, computer program product and apparatus for facilitating storage and/or retrieval of unit dose medications

ABSTRACT

A method for facilitating storage and/or retrieval of unit dose medications may include receiving an indication that a medication receptacle is positioned proximate to an alignment pin, determining a position of the alignment pin relative to an alignment guide disposed in the medication receptacle, and providing an output indicative of an alignment state of the medication receptacle based on the position determined. A corresponding computer program product and apparatus is also provided.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate generally tostoring and retrieving unit dose medications.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In a typical hospital, nursing home, or other similar institution,doctors will visit their patients on a routine basis and prescribevarious medications for each patient. In turn, each patient will likelybe placed on a certain medication treatment plan that requires that heor she take one or more doses of various medications daily. Somemedications may require that they be administered only at certain timesof the day (e.g., after meals) and/or at intervals of one or more hourseach day. In addition, patients may request certain medications on anelective basis for complaints, such as head or body aches. Theserequests are typically included with the doctor's medication request orprescription that he or she sends to a pharmacy of the hospital forfilling.

Medication requests or prescriptions received by the pharmacy willlikely be checked by a registered pharmacist and then entered into thepharmacy information system. These requests reflect not only orders thatare added to a particular patient's treatment plan, but also changes ina patient's existing treatment plan. The pharmacy information systemcombines this information with the patient's existing medicationschedule and develops a patient medication profile. Using the patientmedication profile, a fill list can be created that lists allmedications that must be distributed to all patients for a given timeperiod (e.g., a day).

In some instances, this list is printed and used by a pharmacist orpharmacy technician to hand pick each of the drugs needed for eachpatient (in the form of unit doses) and place those drugs incorresponding patient-specific medication containers (e.g., drawers,boxes, bins or bags). A registered pharmacist then checks the accuracyof the patient order, and, assuming the order was accurate, theindividual patient boxes are loaded into a large transport cart anddelivered to a nursing unit.

Several drawbacks exist, however, to this method of medication retrievaland distribution. In particular, it is very time consuming and manpowerintensive. As a result, systems were created for automating the processof retrieving unit dose medications and distributing them to patientsaccording to their respective medication profiles. One example of such asystem is the ROBOT-Rx® system, offered by McKesson Automation Inc. anddescribed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,468,110, 5,593,267 and 5,880,443, andother examples are described in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos.11/382,605, filed May 10, 2006, 11/611,956, filed Dec. 18, 2006 and11/755,207, filed May 30, 2007, the contents of which are herebyincorporated herein by reference.

The ROBOT-Rx® system, like other similar systems, is a stationaryrobotic system that automates the drug storing, dispensing, returning,restocking and crediting process by using barcode technology. Inparticular, single doses of medications are re-packaged, for example ina clear plastic bag, so that each package contains a barcodecorresponding to the package contents. The barcode may include the nameof the medication, quantity, weight, instructions for use and/orexpiration date.

The packaged medications are then stored in a storage area, such as astorage rack having a frame and a plurality of rod supports on whicheach package can be hung in a manner that provides each with an X, Ycoordinate. Using the X, Y coordinates, packages can then be selected byan automated picking means (e.g., a robotic arm capable of moving atleast in three, mutually orthogonal directions designated X, Y and Z),for distribution to individual patients.

More specifically, in one instance, a pharmacist or technician maymanually enter the identification of a specific medication he or shewould like the automated system to retrieve, for example, as a patient'sfirst dose, in an emergency situation. The automated system, and, inparticular, a computer associated with the automated system, would thenlocate the desired medication (i.e., the X, Y and Z coordinates of themedication) and instruct the picking means to retrieve the medication atthat location. In another instance, the fill list created based on eachpatient's medication profile may be communicated to the computerassociated with the automated system, providing the automated systemwith a current list of all patients and their individual medicationneeds. The computer also maintains a database of all medications storedin the storage area along with their corresponding X, Y and Zcoordinates.

Patient-specific containers (e.g., drawers or bins) displaying barcodesthat include the corresponding patient's unique identification code areplaced on a conveyer belt associated with the automated system. At onepoint on the belt, a barcode reader reads the barcode displayed on thepatient-specific box or container and communicates the patient'sidentification to the computer. The computer will then retrieve thepatient's medication needs from the fill list, and determine thecorresponding coordinates for each medication by accessing the database.

The computer can then guide the picking means to select the desired unitdose medications and deposit them in the patient-specific boxes orcontainers. In particular, the picking means, which also includes abarcode reader, moves to the designated location of a particularmedication, as instructed by the computer, scans the barcode displayedon the package containing the medication to identify the medicationcontained in the package, and provides the identity to the computer.

After the computer confirms that the correct unit dose medication iscontained in the package, the picking means will remove the package fromthe storage area (e.g., using a vacuum generator to produce suction topull the package off the rod, or other holding means, and hold thepackage until it can be deposited) and drop it into the patient-specificcontainer.

The process is repeated until the patient's prescription has been filled(i.e., until the patient-specific medication container contains eachdose of medication to be taken by the patient in the given time periodor, in the instance where the unit dose retrieved the first dose for anew patient, until that first dose has been retrieved). The conveyorbelt then moves the patient-specific container to a check station wherean operator can use yet another barcode reader to scan the barcode labelon the patient-specific container to retrieve and display the patient'sprescription, as well as to scan the barcodes on each package in thecontainer to verify that the medications are correct.

As described above, unit dose medications dispensed robotically may bepackaged into bags, boxes or a variety of other over-wraps prior tobeing stored in the storage area. This repackaging effort is performedfor several reasons. First, the size and shape of the raw packages varygreatly; therefore, without some commonality in product shape, robotichandling becomes extremely difficult. Second, while robotic systemstypically rely on barcodes to identify the products throughout theprocess, the majority of products originating from various manufacturersdo not contain barcodes of any kind or are inconsistent with respect tothe information they provide. Accordingly, in these instances,over-wrapping the unit dose with a package containing a barcode may beaccomplished for identification purposes.

More recently, efforts have been made to reduce any need for repackagingsince, for example, repackaging adds material costs to the final productand requires both additional technician time to perform the packaging aswell as additional pharmacist time to validate the content of thepackage against the description on the label. In addition, repacking bya hospital, or similar institution, shortens the expiration date of therepackaged item based on United States Pharmacopeia/National Formulary(USP/NF) repackaging standards. Moreover, since efforts are being madeto ensure that all human drug products have a barcode on the smallestcontainer or package distributed which, in many instances, is the unitdose medication, each unit dose on a unit dose blister card will have abarcode thereon. This includes all human prescription drug products andover-the-counter drugs that are dispensed pursuant to an order in thehospital. The barcode must contain, at a minimum, a National Drug Code(NDC) in a linear barcode, in the Uniform Code Council (UCC) or HealthIndustry Business Communications Council (HIBCC) format. Following theeffective date of this mandate, assuming that the unit dose medicationsare the smallest container or package used, all unit dose medicationswill contain barcodes that can be used by robotic dispensing systems,thus eliminating the need to overwrap or repackage merely foridentification purposes.

However, even though improvements may be achieved by enhancing theutility of an automated dispensing system in relation to eliminatingrepackaging or over-wrapping operations, such systems still require afair amount of manual intervention to prepare the medications forautomated dispensing. Additionally, there is no standard shape orconfiguration for unit dose blister cards, so automatic dispensing ofunit doses was a challenge. This challenge was initially met by U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/382,605, filed May 10, 2006, whichprovided a robotic device capable of dispensing unit dose blistersautomatically. However, even for an automatic or robotic dispensingsystem, there may be challenges encountered in relation to ensuringproper alignment of medication packages and/or the containers thatfacilitate handling of the medication packages. For example, if amedication package or container is not properly aligned, the machineryused for automatic handling and dispensing may not be able to functionproperly. Accordingly, it may be desirable to provide a mechanism bywhich to improve automatic operation of robotic dispensing equipment.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In general, exemplary embodiments of the present invention provideimprovements relating to, among other things, providing a mechanism bywhich to perform alignment detection functions with respect to a deviceused to pick medications during automatic medication handling anddispensing. In this regard, for example, some example embodiments mayprovide enablement for determining a cause for an alignment failureencountered during handling and/or for automatically learning storagelocations.

In particular, according to one example embodiment, an apparatus forfacilitating storage and/or retrieval of unit dose medications isprovided. The apparatus may include a processing circuitry configuredfor receiving an indication that a medication receptacle is positionedproximate to an alignment pin, determining a position of the alignmentpin relative to an alignment guide disposed in the medicationreceptacle, and providing an output indicative of an alignment state ofthe medication receptacle based on the position determined.

In another exemplary embodiment, a method for facilitating storageand/or retrieval of unit dose medications is provided. The method mayinclude method for receiving an indication that a medication receptacleis positioned proximate to an alignment pin, determining a position ofthe alignment pin relative to an alignment guide disposed in themedication receptacle, and providing an output indicative of analignment state of the medication receptacle based on the positiondetermined.

In another exemplary embodiment, a computer program product forfacilitating storage and/or retrieval of unit dose medications isprovided. The computer program product may include at least onecomputer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program codeinstructions stored therein. The computer-executable program codeinstructions may include program code portions for receiving anindication that a medication receptacle is positioned proximate to analignment pin, determining a position of the alignment pin relative toan alignment guide disposed in the medication receptacle, and providingan output indicative of an alignment state of the medication receptaclebased on the position determined.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will nowbe made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn toscale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates several unit dose blisters;

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a storage, retrieval and delivery system inaccordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a storage system in accordance with exemplaryembodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 5, which includes FIGS. 5A and 5B, illustrates top and bottomperspective views, respectively, of a unit dose blister mount accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6, which includes FIGS. 6A and 6B, illustrates perspective views ofa picking system according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a mount removal mechanism accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view of a Z axis component according toan exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of an alignment tool according toan exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 illustrates a conceptual block diagram of an alignment pinaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 illustrates an apparatus for facilitating storage and/orretrieval of unit dose medications according to an exemplary embodimentof the present invention; and

FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating a method for facilitating storageand/or retrieval of unit dose medications in accordance with anexemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Some embodiments of the present invention now will be described morefully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in whichsome, but not all embodiments of the inventions are shown. Indeed, theseinventions may be embodied in many different forms and should not beconstrued as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, theseembodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicablelegal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

In general, exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide amechanism by which medication (e.g., in unit dose blisters) may behandled and ultimately dispensed either automatically or with minimalmanual assistance. Moreover, embodiments of the present invention mayprovide a mechanism by which to accurately and reliably determinewhether an interruption in medication picking is due to an alignmenterror or due to missing medication. As such, some example embodimentsrelate to an alignment detection mechanism that may employ optical orother sensing techniques to determine whether alignment errors exist.Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention may provide amechanism for automatic handling and dispensing of unit dose packages ina repeatable fashion so that they can be selectively retrieved anddelivered, for example by one of the automatic retrieval systemsdiscussed above (e.g., the ROBOT-Rx® system or a robot system able tohandle blister dispensing such as that described in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/382,605, filed May 10, 2006).

The term “unit dose blister” refers to a unit dose medication, or one ormore oral solids of the same or different strength, form or type, thathas been sealed in a package, such as a vinyl and foil package in whichthe vinyl conforms to the shape of the medication. The vinyl istypically sealed to a foil that offers a flat surface with medicationinformation printed on the opposite side from the vinyl cavity. FIG. 1illustrates several examples of unit dose blisters. As shown, the unitdose blister may include a support panel having opposed first 10 andsecond 20 sides, wherein the unit dose medication 30 (i.e., the one ormore oral solids) is positioned proximate the first side 10 of thesupport panel, and an identification code 40 (e.g., a barcode, radiofrequency identification (RFID) tag, or simple text including any numberand combination of alphanumeric characters) including informationidentifying the unit dose medication 30 is displayed on the second side20 of the support panel.

When unit dose medications are packaged into a blister, they aretypically packaged with several medications per blister card. Thus,there are a corresponding number of equally-spaced vinyl formed cavitiesper blister card. These cavities are typically separated by aperforation. During formation of a blister card, several manufacturingstations are encountered, but there is no correlation between thehandling techniques employed at each station. Accordingly, a blistercard that passes through a station for forming a cavity, labeling of theblister, punching of the blister receptacle, punching out of the card,etc., may not be handled in the same manner at each station as theprevious or subsequent blister card. Accordingly, inconsistencies may becreated between different blister cards. A singulated blister is onethat has been separated from a blister card typically along itsperforation.

As one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize, while reference ismade throughout to unit dose blisters of the form described above, theseunit dose blisters provide just one form in which unit dose medicationsmay be packaged. Use of unit dose blisters in the description ofexemplary embodiments included herein should not, therefore, be taken aslimiting the scope of the present invention to use with such unit dosepackages. In contrast, other unit dose packages may similarly be used inconnection with exemplary embodiments without departing from the spiritand scope of the present invention.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 2 and 3, which illustrate one example ofa storage, retrieval and dispensing system 100, in which exemplaryembodiments of the present invention may be implemented. As one ofordinary skill in the art will recognize, the system 100 illustrated anddescribed herein is just one manner in which the unit dose packages, orpackages containing unit dose medications (e.g., unit dose blisters) maybe handled in their natural or raw state (i.e. not over-wrapped orrepackaged) in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the presentinvention. The system 100 of FIGS. 2 and 3 is provided for exemplarypurposes only and should not be taken as limiting the scope of theinvention in any way, since other systems may likewise be implementedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

The system 100 of exemplary embodiments may include a means for storinga plurality of unit dose blisters of various shapes and sizes, referredto herein as a “storage system” 102. As shown, the storage system 102 ofone exemplary embodiment, which is also illustrated in FIG. 4, may be inthe form of one or more carousels capable of rotating around a rod orpole 110 extending upward through the center of the carousel. While notshown, the storage system may, alternatively, comprise a linear trackthat is stationary and essentially resembles a plurality of pigeon holesor mail slots each including a unit dose package mount (e.g., a unitdose blister mount), which is described in detail below. Returning toFIGS. 2 and 3, the rod or pole 110 may be configured to support aplurality of circular panels 120 positioned at some distance from oneanother, wherein each panel is, in turn, configured to support aplurality of unit dose package mounts (e.g., unit dose blister mounts)(not shown in FIG. 2 or 4), via a plurality of package mount receptacles150 (e.g., blister mount receptacles—shown in FIG. 4).

In this regard, the blister mount receptacles 150 of one embodimentshown in FIG. 4 extend between adjacent panels 120 so as to define aplurality of wedge-shaped cavities. While the panels 120 could be spacedand the unit dose blister mounts sized such that each wedge-shapedcavity defined by the blister mount receptacles 150 received a singleunit dose blister mount, the storage system 102 of the illustratedembodiment is capable of storing a plurality of unit dose blister mountswithin each wedge-shaped cavity. In this regard, the blister mountreceptacles 150 can include tracks for engaging corresponding grooves orother features defined by the unit dose blister mounts such thatmultiple unit dose blister mounts can be inserted into a single storagelocation, e.g., a single wedge-shaped cavity, in an organized manner.

FIG. 5, which includes FIGS. 5A and 5B, illustrates one example of aunit dose blister mount 140, which may be used in order to position aunit dose package (e.g., unit dose blister), in its natural/raw state(i.e., not over-wrapped or repackaged), in a repeatable, predeterminedorientation (i.e., in a predetermined plane) so that it can beselectively retrieved and delivered in accordance with exemplaryembodiments of the present invention. In particular, the unit doseblister mount 140 of exemplary embodiments is configured to accept aplurality of different types of unit dose blisters of various shapes andsizes. As one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize, the unit doseblister mount 140 illustrated and described herein is just one exampleof a storage apparatus capable of accepting unit dose packages ofvarious shapes and sizes and should not be taken as limiting the scopeof embodiments of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the unit dose blister mount 140, alsoreferred to herein as a “storage apparatus,” of one exemplary embodimentmay include a carrier 145 defining one or more cavities 143 therein.Each cavity may be configured to receive the unit dose medication (i.e.,the one or more oral solids of the same or different strength, form ortype) of a unit dose blister while the support panel of the unit doseblister lies and is maintained in a predetermined plane relative to thecarrier. In particular, in one exemplary embodiment, the carrier 145includes a surface, through which the one or more cavities 143 open. Inthis embodiment, each cavity 143 may receive the unit dose medication insuch a way that the support panel of the unit dose is supported by thesurface of the carrier 145 in a plane substantially parallel to thesurface of the carrier. In this regard, the unit dose medication isgenerally disposed within the cavity 143 while the corners or otherperipheral portions of the support panel contact and are supported bythe carrier 145. In another exemplary embodiment, where the depth of themedication cavity of the unit dose blister is greater than the depth ofthe cavity 143 defined by the carrier 145, the unit dose medication isin contact with the carrier 145 (i.e., at the floor of the cavity 143),while the support panel is suspended just above the surface of thecarrier, but remains in a plane substantially parallel to that surface.

The size, shape and depth of the cavities 143 of one exemplaryembodiment may be determined to accommodate a large sampling of unitdose blisters of various shapes and sizes. For example, the cavity 143may be sized to be large enough to receive at least a majority of theunit dose medications packaged in the unit dose blisters of the largesampling. The cavity 143 may also be sized small enough to prevent themajority of unit dose blisters from falling entirely into the cavity. Inone example embodiment shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the carrier 145 may beconfigured to hold two unit dose blisters, wherein each cavity 143 hasan elliptical shape with major and minor dimensions of 1.25 inches and0.625 inches, respectively. FIG. 5A provides a top or overheadperspective of the unit dose blister mount of exemplary embodiments,while FIG. 5B provides the bottom perspective. However, it should beappreciated that unit dose blister mounts, carriers and cavities couldeach be shaped and sized differently in other example embodiments.

According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the unitdose blister is able to naturally sit in the unit dose blister mount140, or storage apparatus, with its medication cavity down. Thisorientation may position the unit dose blister to lie substantially flatin a plane defined by the unit dose blister mount 140 (e.g., via thecarrier 145), such as the horizontal plane, having its identificationcode and other printed drug information (i.e., the information displayedon the second side of the support panel of the unit dose blister)viewable from above. Due at least in part to this orientation, the unitdose blister may be scanned and perhaps also picked up relativelyeasily.

In an example embodiment, the unit dose blister mount 140 may include ahandle 142 via which the unit dose blister mount 140 may be grabbed,held, moved or otherwise manipulated. In some embodiments, the handle142 may include an alignment hole 147 (which is an example of analignment guide). Additionally or alternatively, instances of thealignment hole 147 may be included at other portions of the unit doseblister mount 140 (e.g., in one or more of the carriers 145). Accordingto some example embodiments, perhaps after reading of a barcode on theunit dose blister, the unit dose blister may be stored in the unit doseblister mount 140 or automatically removed from the unit dose blistermount 140 by a picking system.

FIG. 6, which includes FIGS. 6A and 6B, illustrates a picking system 201according to an example embodiment. The picking system 201 of oneexemplary embodiment may include X-Axis 220, Y-Axis 230 and Z-Axis 240components configured to enable the picking system 201 to move in three,mutually orthogonal directions, designated X, Y and Z, in order toretrieve a unit dose blister, typically while disposed within a unitdose blister mount 140, from the storage system 102.

The Y-Axis component 230 may comprise one or more timing belts driven bya closed-loop motor and configured to move the X and Z-Axis components220, 240 in the Y-direction (e.g., up and down). The X-Axis component220 may, likewise, be driven by a closed-loop motor (e.g., a servomotor) to move linearly in the X-direction (e.g., left and right). Inembodiments in which the unit dose blister is disposed within a unitdose blister mount while stored within the storage system 102, theX-Axis component 220 may include one or more cantilevered unit dosepackage (e.g., blister) mount removal mechanisms 224L, 224R (referred toherein as “mount removal mechanisms”), illustrated in FIG. 7, which areconfigured to remove a unit dose blister mount 140 from the storagesystem 102 and present it to a blister removal mechanism 242, which isdiscussed in further detail below. Where, for example, the storagesystem 102 of the retrieval and delivery system 100 comprises twocarousels, the X-Axis component may include both a left 224L and a righthand 224R mount removal mechanism.

As shown in FIG. 7, the mount removal mechanism 224L, 224R may comprisea gripper 226 capable of gripping the handle 142 of a unit dose blistermount 140. In one exemplary embodiment, the gripper 226 is configured togrip the handle while off center, in other words, despite the fact thatthe gripper 226 and handle 142 are not completely aligned. The mountremoval mechanism 224L, 224R may further include an extension and aretraction mechanism 223 configured to extend the mount removalmechanism 224L, 224R back and forth from the location of the unit doseblister mount 140 to the location where the unit dose blister mount 140is presented to the blister removal mechanism 242. In other words, themount removal mechanism 224L, 224R may be configured to move from afirst position to a second position proximate the unit dose blistermount 140, to grip the handle 142 of the unit dose blister mount 140,and to then retract away from the second position, in order to presentthe unit dose blister mount 140 to the blister removal mechanism 242.

The Z-Axis component 240 of the picking system 201, which is shown inmore detail in FIG. 8, may comprise one or more unit dose package (e.g.,blister) removal mechanisms 242 configured to remove one or more unitdose blisters from a unit dose blister mount 140 when the unit doseblister mount 140 has been presented to the blister removal mechanism242. The blister removal mechanism 242 may likewise be configured toremove unit dose blisters from restock trays during z restockingprocess. In one exemplary embodiment, the blister removal mechanism 242comprises one or more vacuum generators 243 capable of generating asufficient suction to remove the unit dose blister from the mount 140 ortray 229 (both of which may be examples of medication receptacles), forexample using one or more vacuum cups 245, and to hold the unit doseblister until it can be deposited in a specified location, such as acontainer that is associated with the overall system 260 (shown in FIG.6B) and from which the unit dose blister may, for example, be dispelledfrom the back of the system into a patient-specific medicationcontainer, or a floor stock container or out a chute in the front of thesystem, for example, for the purpose of filling a patient first dose(i.e., not as part of a routine fill process).

In one exemplary embodiment, the vacuum generators are capable ofgenerating a local vacuum through the use of one or more diaphragmelectric pumps capable of being turned on and off. In particular, ratherthan requiring the use of compressed air, which can be costly,inefficient and fairly disruptive in terms of the noise and requiredpiping associated with the use of an air compressor, the system ofexemplary embodiments of the present invention uses one or more electricvacuum generators to produce a local vacuum, thus eliminating the needfor compressed air and enabling the storage, retrieval and deliverysystem to essentially be moved into a facility and plugged into anelectric power outlet in the wall. It should be appreciated thatalthough a vacuum based removal mechanism has been described above,other mechanisms for removing unit dose blisters could alternatively beemployed.

In some embodiments, the dispensing system 100 may further include oneor more readers 244, including, for example, barcode or radio frequencyidentification (RFID) tag readers, cameras, or the like, capable ofreading the identification code 40 displayed on the unit dose blisterlocated in the unit dose blister mount 140 and communicating theinformation obtained (e.g., the identity of the unit dose medication, orone or more oral solids, held by the unit dose blister) to a controllerassociated with the storage, retrieval and delivery system 100, for thepurpose of verifying that the correct medication has been selected. Asshown in FIG. 8, the one or more code readers 244 can be carried by theZ-Axis component 240. Using the card reader 244 to employ a scanningtechnique, the picking system 201 of a storage, retrieval and deliverysystem 100 may be enabled to reliably read the barcode, or similaridentification code, on the medication without having to reorient themedication in any way. In addition, this position and containment offersa consistent, reliable means for the picking system 201 to vacuum pick(e.g., using the blister removal mechanism 242) the unit dose blisterduring the retrieval and delivery process.

In some embodiments, if the blister removal mechanism 242 fails toremove medication from the unit dose blister mount 140 during operation,a fault may be sensed. The fault may generally have occurred due to anyof a number of reasons. For example, the unit dose blister mount 140 maynot be properly aligned to permit the blister removal mechanism 242 toremove the medication (e.g., the unit dose blister) or there mayactually not be any medication in the carrier 145 or the cavity 143. Anexemplary embodiment of the present invention may provide a solution fordetermining the reason for failure remove the medication and/or assistin the prevention of failures that may otherwise occur due to improperalignment or positioning of the unit dose blister mount 140.

In this regard, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention mayemploy an alignment tool 300. The alignment tool 300, an example ofwhich is shown in FIG. 9, may include an alignment pin 302 that may beconfigured to interact with the alignment hole 147 of the unit doseblister mount 140. In this regard, when the unit dose blister mount 140is presented to the blister removal mechanism 242, the alignment tool300 may be employed to determine whether the unit dose blister mount 140is properly aligned in connection with the removal of medication fromthe unit dose blister mount 140. In one embodiment, the alignment tool300 may determine proper alignment of the unit dose blister mount 140prior to initiation of attempts to remove medication. In such cases, anindication from the alignment tool 300 of proper alignment may enablecontinued operation of the blister removal mechanism 242 for medicationremoval. In an alternative case, the alignment tool 300 may determineproper alignment of the unit dose blister mount 140 during the removalprocess such that the operation of the alignment tool 300 may notsubstantially delay operation of the blister removal mechanism 242. Instill another alternative, the alignment tool 300 may determine properalignment of the unit dose blister mount 140 in response to a failure toremove medication from the unit dose blister mount 140. In such cases,the verification of proper alignment may be useful in determining acause for the failure.

As indicated in FIG. 9, the alignment tool 300 may be positioned on ablister robot end-of-arm-tool (EOAT). As such, for example, thealignment pin 302 may be positioned at a bottom portion of blisterremoval mechanism 242′. The alignment pin 302 of some exampleembodiments may be positioned to align with the alignment hole 147 of aunit dose blister mount that is properly positioned to allow medicationremoval. Although the alignment pin 302 may be extendible and/orretractable, in some embodiments, the alignment pin 302 may generate anelectrical, optical or other readable signal that may be enabled to passunobstructed through the alignment hole 147 of a properly aligned unitdose blister mount. If there is obstruction of the signal, the alignmenttool 300 may determine that the alignment hole 147 is not properlyaligned with respect to the alignment pin 302 due to the unit doseblister mount 140 not being properly positioned to permit removal of themedication. As such, the alignment pin 302 may be enabled to determinewhether the blister removal mechanism 242 (e.g., a pick head of theblister removal mechanism 242) is properly aligned to permit medicationremoval based on whether the alignment pin 302 hits the unit doseblister mount 140 or whether a received signal generated from thealignment pin 302 is indicative of physical obstruction. In the exampledescribed above, a sensor may be positioned on an opposite side of theunit dose blister mount 140 with respect to a signal emitter ortransmitter collocated with the alignment pin 302. However, in analternative embodiment, an example of which is shown in FIG. 10, thealignment pin may include a signal emitter 500 configured to emit asignal toward the alignment hole 147 and a sensor 510 configured toreceive signal reflections that may occur due to the signal reflectingoff a top or bottom surface of the unit dose blister mount 140 (or atray) due to misalignment.

In an example embodiment, the alignment tool 300 may include orotherwise operate under the control of processing circuitry. Moreover,in some embodiments the processing circuitry of FIG. 11 may also controlthe storage, retrieval and delivery system 100 of exemplary embodimentsof the present invention. As such, the system 100 may further comprise aprocessor, controller, or similar processing device, capable ofdirecting operation of the alignment tool 300 and perhaps also otherportions of the system 100 including, for example, the blister removalmechanism 242 and/or the picking system 201.

An exemplary embodiment will now be described referring to FIG. 11,which is a block diagram of a controller, or similar processing device,capable of operating in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention. As shown, the processing circuitry may includevarious means for performing one or more functions in accordance withexemplary embodiments of the present invention, including those moreparticularly shown and described herein. It should be understood,however, that the processing circuitry, which may include a controller,or similar processing device, may include alternative means forperforming one or more like functions, without departing from the spiritand scope of the present invention. As shown, the processing circuitrymay include a processor 400 connected to a memory 410. In addition tothe memory 410, the processor 400 may also be connected to at least oneinterface or other means for displaying, transmitting and/or receivingdata, content or the like. In this regard, the interface(s) can includeat least one communication interface 420 or other means for transmittingand/or receiving data, content or the like, as well as at least one userinterface that may include a display 430 and/or a user input interface440. The user input interface 440, in turn, may comprise any of a numberof devices allowing the controller to receive data from a user, such asa keypad, a touch display, a joystick, a foot pedal, actuator, button orother input device. However, in some embodiments, the display 430, userinput interface 440 and/or the communication interface 420 may beomitted.

The processor 400 may be embodied as various processing means such as aprocessing element, a coprocessor, a controller or various otherprocessing devices including integrated circuits such as, for example,an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), an FPGA (fieldprogrammable gate array), a PLC (programmable logic controller), ahardware accelerator, or the like. The processor 400 may be configured(e.g., via hardcoded instructions or via execution of softwareinstructions) to perform or control the various functions of theprocessing circuitry. The memory 410 may include volatile and/ornon-volatile memory, and typically stores content, data or the like. Forexample, the memory 410 may be non-transitory memory capable of storingcontent transmitted from, and/or received by, the processing circuitry.Also for example, the memory 410 may store software applications,instructions or the like for enabling the processor 400 to perform stepsassociated with operation of the processing circuitry in accordance withembodiments of the present invention. In one exemplary embodiment, thememory 410 stores instructions for directing the processor 400 tocontrol the alignment tool 300 in relation to operations describedherein.

In operation, the unit dose blister mount 140 may be presented to theblister removal mechanism 242 (e.g., under direction provided by theprocessor 400) and the alignment tool 300 (e.g., under directionprovided by the processor 400) may control transmission of the signalfrom the alignment pin 302. Responsive to detection of at least aportion of the signal at the opposite side of the alignment hole 147from which the side from which the signal is transmitted (or from thesame side if a reflected signal is measured instead of measuring adegree of transmissivity presented through the alignment hole 147), thealignment tool 300 may determine an alignment state of the unit doseblister mount 140. In some embodiments, an output regarding thealignment state may be provided to the user (e.g., via the display 430or audibly). However, regardless of whether the user is informed, anoutput regarding the alignment of the alignment pin 302 with thealignment hole 147 may be generated, for example, for feedback for usein better alignment or for storing location information as describedbelow.

In some embodiments, the alignment tool 300 may further operate (e.g.,under control by the processor 400 and based on instructions andlocation information stored in the memory 410) to learn proper pick andplace locations for a plurality (or perhaps each) of the storagelocations that are accessible to the robot. As an example, a technicianmay manually move the EOAT toward a unit dose blister mount or tray thatis being held by the robot and the alignment pin 302 may be aligned withthe alignment hole 147 of the unit dose blister mount or tray (e.g., byplacing the alignment pin 302 into the alignment hole 147). The position(e.g., in terms of X, Y and Z coordinates) corresponding to thisalignment may be recorded (e.g., in the memory 410). From this initialrecorded position, the robot may be configured to use the alignment pin302 to detect a top surface of the unit dose blister mount in order todetermine the proper pick and place height for the unit dose blistermount based on known offsets from the top surface of the unit doseblister mount. Thereafter, the robot may be configured to detect edgesof the alignment hole 147 by making small lateral movements in the planeof the top surface of the unit dose blister mount in which one or morelateral movements may be followed by a corresponding vertical movementattempting to seat the alignment pin within the alignment hole 147 andthereby learn the best location for picking the unit dose blister mount.A boundary between the alignment hole and the top surface of the unitdose blister mount may be detected by the state of the alignment pinsignal. Accordingly, for example, the processor 400 may execute analignment algorithm to find (at least approximately) edges and perhapsalso a center of the alignment hole 147, which may be recorded so thatthe picking system 201 may be enabled to thereafter select the correctlocation and height at which to grab the unit dose blister mount basedon stored location information generated responsive to alignment of thealignment pin 302 relative to the alignment hole 147. Accordingly, someembodiments of the present invention may provide an ability to selfalign the alignment tool 300 to pre-stored unit dose blister mount (orother medication receptacle) locations based on feedback signalsreceived regarding alignment of the alignment pin 302 relative to thealignment hole 147.

Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention may provide amechanism for use in measuring alignment information for medicationreceptacles. As such, some embodiments may provide alignment detectionfunctions with respect to a device used to pick medications duringautomated medication handling and dispensing. In this regard, forexample, some example embodiments may provide enablement for determininga cause for an alignment failure encountered during handling and/or forautomatically learning storage locations to facilitate robotic operationwith respect to handling medications.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of a method and program product according toexemplary embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that eachblock of the flowchart, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart, maybe implemented by various means, such as hardware, firmware, processor,circuitry and/or other device associated with execution of softwareincluding one or more computer program instructions. For example, one ormore of the procedures described above may be embodied by computerprogram instructions. In this regard, the computer program instructionswhich embody the procedures described above may be stored by a memorydevice and executed by a processor (e.g., processor 400). As will beappreciated, any such computer program instructions may be loaded onto acomputer or other programmable apparatus (i.e., hardware) to produce amachine, such that the instructions which execute on the computer orother programmable apparatus create means for implementing the functionsspecified in the flowchart block(s). These computer program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer-readable memory that may direct acomputer or other programmable apparatus to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readablememory produce an article of manufacture including instruction meanswhich implement the function specified in the flowchart block(s). Thecomputer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer orother programmable apparatus to cause a series of operations to beperformed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce acomputer-implemented process such that the instructions which execute onthe computer or other programmable apparatus provide operations forimplementing the functions specified in the flowchart block(s).

In this regard, a method of receiving an indication that a medicationreceptacle (e.g., unit dose blister mount 140 or tray 229) is positionedproximate to an alignment pin at operation 600, determining a positionof the alignment pin relative to an alignment guide (e.g., alignmenthole 147) disposed at the medication receptacle at operation 610, andproviding an output indicative of an alignment state of the medicationreceptacle based on the position determined at operation 620.

In some embodiments, optional operations may be provided in addition tothe operations described above. It should be appreciated that each ofthe optional operations described below may be included with theoperations above either alone or in combination with any others amongthe features described herein. Accordingly, in some embodiments, themethod may further include storing position information indicative of aposition of the alignment pin extended into the alignment guide atoperation 630 and/or employing an algorithm to measure alignmentinformation responsive to a series of lateral movements of the alignmentpin to substantially determine a predetermined position (e.g., a center)of the alignment guide at operation 640. In some embodiments, the methodmay further include utilizing the position information stored to locatethe medication receptacle after storage for subsequent movement of themedication receptacle by an automated device at operation 650.

In some embodiments, the operations described above may be modified. Themodifications may be included in any combination and in any order. Assuch, in some cases, determining the position of the alignment pin mayinclude transmitting a signal from the alignment pin toward thealignment guide and measuring the signal to determine the position basedon a result of the measuring. In some cases, transmitting the signal mayinclude transmitting an electrical signal or an optical signal. In somecases, determining the position of the alignment pin may includeextending the alignment pin into the alignment guide.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forthherein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which theseinventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in theforegoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is tobe understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specificembodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments areintended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associateddrawings describe exemplary embodiments in the context of certainexemplary combinations of elements and/or functions, it should beappreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions maybe provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scopeof the appended claims. In this regard, for example, differentcombinations of elements and/or functions other than those explicitlydescribed above are also contemplated as may be set forth in some of theappended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they areused in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes oflimitation.

That which is claimed:
 1. A method comprising: receiving an indicationthat a medication receptacle is positioned proximate to an alignmentpin; determining a position of the alignment pin relative to analignment guide disposed at the medication receptacle; and providing anoutput indicative of an alignment state of the medication receptaclebased on the position determined.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereindetermining the position of the alignment pin comprises transmitting asignal from the alignment pin toward the alignment guide and measuringat least a portion of the signal to determine the position based on aresult of the measuring.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein transmittingthe signal comprises transmitting an electrical signal or an opticalsignal.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the position ofthe alignment pin comprises extending the alignment pin into thealignment guide.
 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising storingposition information indicative of a position of the alignment pinextended into the alignment guide.
 6. The method of claim 5, furthercomprising utilizing the position information stored to locate themedication receptacle after storage for subsequent movement of themedication receptacle by an automated device.
 7. The method of claim 4,further comprising employing an algorithm to measure alignmentinformation responsive to a series of lateral movements of the alignmentpin followed by corresponding vertical movement of the alignment pin toattempt to seat the alignment pin within the alignment guide tosubstantially determine a predefined position of the alignment guide. 8.A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readablestorage medium having computer-executable program code instructionsstored therein, the computer-executable program code instructionscomprising: program code instructions for receiving an indication that amedication receptacle is positioned proximate to an alignment pin;program code instructions for determining a position of the alignmentpin relative to an alignment guide disposed in the medicationreceptacle; and program code instructions for providing an outputindicative of an alignment state of the medication receptacle based onthe position determined.
 9. The computer program product of claim 8,wherein program code instructions for determining the position of thealignment pin include instructions for transmitting a signal from thealignment pin toward the alignment guide and measuring at least aportion of the signal to determine the position based on a result of themeasuring.
 10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein programcode instructions for transmitting the signal include instructions fortransmitting an electrical signal or an optical signal.
 11. The computerprogram product of claim 8, wherein program code instructions fordetermining the position of the alignment pin include instructions forextending the alignment pin into the alignment guide.
 12. The computerprogram product of claim 11, further comprising program codeinstructions for storing position information indicative of a positionof the alignment pin extended into the alignment guide.
 13. The computerprogram product of claim 12, further comprising program codeinstructions for utilizing the position information stored to locate themedication receptacle after storage for subsequent movement of themedication receptacle by an automated device.
 14. The computer programproduct of claim 11, further comprising program code instructions foremploying an algorithm to measure alignment information responsive to aseries of lateral movements of the alignment pin followed bycorresponding vertical movement of the alignment pin to attempt to seatthe alignment pin within the alignment guide to substantially determinea predefined position of the alignment guide.
 15. An apparatuscomprising processing circuitry configured to: receive an indicationthat a medication receptacle is positioned proximate to an alignmentpin; determine a position of the alignment pin relative to an alignmentguide disposed in the medication receptacle; and provide an outputindicative of an alignment state of the medication receptacle based onthe position determined.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein theprocessing circuitry is configured to determine the position of thealignment pin by transmitting a signal from the alignment pin toward thealignment guide and measuring at least a portion of the signal todetermine the position based on a result of the measuring.
 17. Theapparatus of claim 16, wherein the processing circuitry is configured totransmit the signal including transmitting an electrical signal or anoptical signal.
 18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processingcircuitry is configured to determine the position of the alignment pinby extending the alignment pin into the alignment guide.
 19. Theapparatus of claim 18, wherein the processing circuitry is furtherconfigured to store position information indicative of a position of thealignment pin extended into the alignment guide.
 20. The apparatus ofclaim 19, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured toutilize the position information stored to locate the medicationreceptacle after storage for subsequent movement of the medicationreceptacle by an automated device.
 21. The apparatus of claim 18,wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to employ analgorithm to measure alignment information responsive to a series oflateral movements of the alignment pin followed by correspondingvertical movement of the alignment pin to attempt to seat the alignmentpin within the alignment guide to substantially determine a predefinedposition of the alignment guide.
 22. The apparatus of claim 15, furthercomprising: a signal emitter disposed at the alignment pin to transmit asignal toward the alignment guide; and a signal receiver configured toreceive at least a portion of the signal transmitted by the signalemitter to determine the position of the alignment pin relative to thealignment guide based on the portion of the signal received.
 23. Theapparatus of claim 22, wherein the signal receiver is disposed at thealignment pin and is in communication with the processing circuitry, thesignal receiver being configured to receive reflected portions of thesignal.
 24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the signal receiver isdisposed at an opposite side of the alignment guide with respect to thealignment pin and is in communication with the processing circuitry, thesignal receiver being configured to receive portions of the signal thatpass through the alignment guide.